


Subtle

by outlawserenade



Category: Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: Bart just liked food, Cassie is kind of everyone's mom, Conner is worried, Dick just gets it, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Jay is smoov, JayTim Week, JayTim Week 2018, M/M, Tim is... not so smoov, Tropes, everybody else are just nosy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-04-04 18:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14025669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/outlawserenade/pseuds/outlawserenade
Summary: Yeah, sorry, I tried to make this short. But my muse ran away a few miles with it. So it's multi-chaptered. I may just change this into a series instead of multi-chaptered, unless the muse decided otherwise.





	1. Lightbulb

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, sorry, I tried to make this short. But my muse ran away a few miles with it. So it's multi-chaptered. I may just change this into a series instead of multi-chaptered, unless the muse decided otherwise.

**Day 2: Enemies to Friends to Lovers // ~~Supernatural AU~~**

He watched longingly as the two familiar figures a few buildings away flitted and played with each other, the intimacy of the touches belying the punches and kicks thrown a little too precise, a little too lethal for those not knowing what they do. The two figures knew their games well, as a caught kick melted into a coy embrace; a dodged punch swiveled into a childish nip; a headlock that ended in a kiss.

He wondered if his own person of interest, not the one below, but the one from his own world; would show the same kind of familiarity with him. Oh how his body ached with want and need as he watched the young Red Robin and Red Hood frolicked--

Heh, He wanted to cringe at his brain's choice of word. But that's what the two were actually doing.  _Frolicking_.

 _Playing_.

As if they were not on the roof of a 10-plus-storey building, crossing and leaping to another building either by means of their own strength, or aided by a grapnel gun. The wind carried a little tittering - Red Robin's laughter. And he couldn't even remember the last time he had heard  _his_ Red Robin laughed.

He sighed as the portal crackled behind him. Time for subtlety is up. He has decided that he wants. that... display of affection he had seen. From his researches,  _this world's_  Red Hood had faced generally the same fates as he had. The only difference... maybe, he'd told his Red Robin of his wants and needs. He wondered how. He wondered if he could just ask this person from another dimension - how is it so easy for him to  _get_ the other boy to succumb. To give.

Just before he stepped into the portal that would take him back to his own world, his eyes had caught his double pulling out something from his pocket and give it to Red Robin. The latter opened it and put it in his mouth. Food. Something edible. And they exchanged a chaste kiss.

A lightbulb switched on in his head.

 

* * *

 

 

"I don't understand." Tim said to his Teen Titans colleagues.

"Tim, buddy, when your boyfriend sends you massive cakes like this that's not poisoned or otherwise deadly, there's really only one thing you can do." Conner commented as he shoveled another spoonful of triple-layered-chocolate cake.

"Eat it!" Bart chimed. "Buddy, if you're not gonna eat it. I will take your part." he added, eyeing Tim's plate with interest that should not be healthy. Tim  _really_  feared for Bart's blood sugar level. A Flash kid with diabetes really isn't as funny as it sounded.

"He's not my boyfriend! But back off, Bart! I'm gonna--" Tim said, scooping a tiny teensy weensy bit of a corner of the cake. As it passed his lips, he closed his eyes and bit the inside of his lip, preventing what he knew would be a very satisfied and obscene moan from escaping. Cassie had missed the warning signs and she was still blushing from her own moan. "God this is good..." he murmured.

"I'm all happy with this. I don't know why you wouldn't be." Cassie demanded. "It's not like he's fattening you for slaughter - yesterdays sorbet cake was purely natural sugars and fruits and dear  _goddesses--_ them goddesses would have lined up for them, too."

"...provided a certain Kid Flash didn't devour them all beforehand." Miguel commented, poking at Kid Flash who was waiting for whoever did not finish their cake.

"Hey, I have fast metabolism. The instant I gain weight, you all would've been as big as a blimp."

"I just want to know why Jason Todd is sending all these cookies and cakes and breads and..." Tim peered into a box, "I think they're candied fruits. --Are you sure they're not poisoned, Kon?"

"Mrmph..." Conner replied around a mouthful of chocolate. Tim rolled his eyes.

"You're hopeless." he grumbled. "Raven?"

"Timothy, please, I sensed no malice in these... confectioneries. Whatever Jason Todd's intention, malice is not it." Raven replied. "Have you asked Nightwing of opinion on this... predicament?"

"I called him yesterday and he laughed for like, four minutes straight, before he hung up." Tim sulked, licking the spoon of the chocolate fudge. "...and he hasn't called me back since."

"Trouble in New York?" Cassie asked. "Or is he just busy laughing at you?"

"I. Don't. Know." Tim pouted. "I just..." he sighed. "Fine, I'll call somebody else." he said, placing his plate on the counter. "You eat my cake, Bart - or anybody else, you die."

"Creepy." Garfield commented. "Somebody please knock some sense to that boy, tell him he's being  _totally_  seduced to the dark-chocolate-fudge side by the Red Hood."

"And I thought girls are the ones who'd get seduced by chocolate." Conner commented. Garfield and Miguel shot him a withering glare. "What?"

"My dear Kryptonian friend, you still have a  _lot_  to learn of love and lust, and the ladies in general." Miguel crooned.

"I can understand Timothy's apprehension, though." Raven commented. "The Red Hood had tried to murder him, correct?"

"Murdered and bludgeoned. Can't even remember how many times now." Conner quipped.

"Three times, Tim said." Garfield replied. "And then he just stopped after the Bat returned. Stopped cold. Regret? Change of mind? Change of modus? What is he after? Why did he change? Is the world round? Are we ready for the cliffhanger to be resolved by the next episode? Stay tuned, for the next episode of the Batboys Drama! --oh wait, Batboys By the Bay! Sounds more catchy, don't you think?" 

Conner, Cassie, Raven, and Miguel sighed at the overly dramatic recital, while Bart glared at Garfield unflinchingly. "Bart, don't encourage him." Cassie sighed.

"But I want to know." Bart said plaintively.

"Me, I just want to see the Red Hood in an apron." Conner smirked.

"Conner, you have super powers." Miguel pointed out. "He has got to be near. At least in the city. These things are fresh." he patted Conner's shoulder. "Go find him!"

Conner glared at him. "You crazy, right? This is the guy who owns like, a whole crate-full of Kryptonite, tried to kill  _Batman_ , and you wanted me to stalk him."

"Yes."

"Hell, no."

"Why not?"

"Did you miss the part where I'm half  _Kryptonian_  and am  _very_  allergic to  _Kryptonite_  or the part where the  _Red Hood_  is known to own a massively large batch of  _Kryptonite_?"

"Seriously, dude? You're scared?"

"Yes I am."

"You're gonna let your buddy be-- Holy mother, I cannot believe I say this revolting English word -  _wooed_  by the Red Hood?" Miguel gasped in mock horror.

"Yes. No. Wait, that's not fair. Tim is not a child and I'm not his dad. Shouldn't  _Batman_  be the one worrying about this?" Conner protested.

"Are we not his friends? Teammates?" Miguel argued.

"How about  _you_  go find him and I'll wait here with krazy glue to glue you back together when-or- _if_ you return. I can promise you I can glue you back together, no matter how many pieces he's shattering you into."

"How about you two stop bickering? I think Tim just left the building." Cassie interjected as she looked out the window of the tower. "In civvies. Should we call Batman, now?"

"Please don't," Raven sighed. "As Conner said, he is not a child. He is quite capable of defending himself. He will be fine."


	2. Clear as Pi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pi makes the world go 'round. Or is it pie?

Tim Drake was a better detective than he was ever as a Robin. He was small, lithe; not as agile as the original Robin, Dick Grayson, or as massive and strong as the second Robin, Jason Todd. His investigative and deductive skills, however, is often said to be second only to the Batman.

Him finding where Jason has been staying would not have been counted as a surprise for those who know him. Like Dick Grayson, like Bruce Wayne, Bruce's butler, Aflred Pennyworth. Like his Titans teammates.

Like Jason Todd.

"What do you want." Jason's voice rang out even before Tim stepped in through the window.

"I should've asked you that. You've been sending me things." Tim replied, carefully walking in to the small apartment, unsurprisingly located at the Skid Row area of the Tenderloin district. Tourists avoided the area like the plague, having heard of tales and lores of the unsavoryness that is the Tenderloin District.

For Jason Todd - as well as Tim Drake - the city being San Francisco, not Gotham, even the worst part of the district looked like Gotham's standard parts.  _Jason would have felt right at home here,_  Tim thought idly, before remembering his own apartment that used to be the Theatre at Crime Alley where Bruce's parents were murdered.

The Red Hood's helmet was staring at him from a bedside table right next to the four-poster bed. The apartment itself was a loft and not overly large, and there was only a partition that would separate the bedroom from the living room. But it has a functioning oven, apparently. And Jason was baking something in it right there and then.

"I'm testing recipes." Jason deadpanned.

"What's in it." Tim retorted. "Why me."

Jason shrugged and turned back toward the oven. "You're here, and you have friends who could devour them, so nothing would be gone to waste." Jason reasoned.

"There are lots of people around here who could eat them, anyway."

Jason scowled at him. "And have them confuse French pastry with Persian pastry?"

"What Persian-- wait. No. That's not the point. I want to know why you're...  _feeding_  me."

Jason scowled at him, again. Tim started to wonder if it was his default expression setting or if the Lazarus Pit had warped his face from the grinning, happy Jason Todd of the past to this perpetually scowling-or-frowning expression.

"You have friends." Jason repeated. "I'm not just feeding you. And they're hella healthier than the junks you people have been feeding on."

"You've tried to kill us."

Jason gave him a withering look. "No I didn't. Just you." he corrected.

Tim rolled his eyes. "You've tried to kill me." he elaborated. "And now you're... what the hell are you doing, Jason?"

Jason just lifted an incredibly delicious smelling Shepherd's Pie out of the oven. "Dinner." he said. "Mine. You want?"

In spite of only recently finishing a large piece of chocolate cake that Tim hoped has not vanished to the abyss that is Bart Allen's belly by now, Tim's stomach rumbled loudly and unabashedly - and unsolicited-ly. Jason put the pie on the table and cut it to six equal pieces.

"Six?"

"Two for each." Jason said.

Tim had to look around, in spite having checked and recon-ed the entire block three times before he got in. "There are only two of us."

Jason just glared at him and handed him a spoon. "Your pick. I'll eat first." he said. And then louder, "last person here don't get to pick!"

Sure enough, a blue-black clad body practically slithered from the vents. "No fair. What if you put glass bits in where I'm gonna bite?"

"I'd have them as visible garnishes if I'd wanted to kill you, Grayson." Jason groused. Dick pointedly ignored him and took a plate and handed it to Tim. "I'll start billing you louse tomorrow." Jason added.

Tim placed a large one-sixth of the pie on the plate, and handed it to Dick, who promptly forked a large mouthful. "No poison. But if I die in the next hour, I want you to avenge me, Timothy." he said in all seriousness after swallowing the pie.

Tim blinked as he placed a second piece - picked randomly, and handed it to Jason. And another one for him. He was a third ongoing when Dick -  
already halfway through his piece - commented, "Tim actually hated Shepherd's pie."

Jason groaned. "And you didn't tell me this before, why?"

Dick grinned impishly. "I want to see how you'll change his mind to come to love this wonder of this English cuisine."

Tim was still shoveling the pie into his mouth quietly, savoring each and every piece of mystery meat in it. Jason caught his eyes and asked, "converted, yet?"

"Considering it." Tim replied without thinking. "The sorbet was a hit, though. Especially with the girls." he added, then shook his head and refocused. "Seriously! What. You planning to make a bakery or something, maybe? Supplementing your ill-gotten income with a more..." he looked at his plate and was quite surprised to see it kind of only have a few forkfuls remaining, "...sweet-and-savory flavored?"

Jason gave him a dirty look. "Gee, nice to know you have such nice thoughts about my income. I suggest you get off your high horse once in a while, though. Even the almighty Oracle's 'income' aren't all squeaky clean." he pointed out. "The sorbet was good?"

Dick, Tim realized, was already on his second slice of the pie, and was watching the banter with such mock-interested expression that made Tim wanted to slam the pie dish onto his face.

"It was. But that's  _still_  not answering my question. Why are you sending me and my friends food?" Tim persisted. Because if anything,  _persistence_  is his middle name: Red 'Persistent' Robin. "You've tried to kill me. And now you're wine-ing and dine-ing me. Metaphorically. Except for the 'dine-ing' part. Why."

Jason winced. "Growing pains?" he offered lamely.

Tim did not groan. Even at Dick's snicker. "You mean  _my_  pains?"

Jason was still wincing as if the pie was coming out of his sitting end in the form of jagged rock. Tim internally grimaced at his own vicious and petty thought.

"Okay," Jason said, pausing. Glared at Dick, who gave him a hand signal of encouragement. Glared at Tim. "You want seconds?"

"Probably in a minute. You were saying? --that's pertinent to my question?"

Jason sighed dejectedly. "You're persistent." he finally said after a few dozen heartbeats.

"I didn't get this job by being pretty, contrary to popular beliefs. And I  _will_ slam the pie dish to your face if you snicker again, Grayson!" Dick was visibly trying to wipe the smirk off his face, Tim could handle that, he thought. Kind of. At least Jason agreed on the face-slamming idea. 

Jason's answer, he was not sure about. "I think you're pretty. But also pretty good with this..." Jason made a repetitive circle over the pie that Tim took as his generalized gesture that meant 'everything or something', "...job."

"Of course." Tim retorted, watching the second slice of the pie landed on his plate, and realizing that Jason's fork suddenly came too near to his jugular to his liking. "I'm still here, aren't I?"

"He's got a point," Dick agreed.

Jason punched Dick's shoulder. "Well I didn't leave by choice, did I?"

A little pang of hurt stabbed at Tim's heart. "I didn't, either... technically." he said, his voice suddenly soft as he avoided Dick's eyes.

"Oooh, no, no, no, no. I've said my apologies. And you two aren't going to make this about  _me_  now." Dick suddenly protested. "Back to the matter at hand," he prodded Tim, momentarily dazed and lifting an eyebrow to complete his bitchface. But it was Jason who spoke next.

"Okay. Yeah. I'm not good with it. So I'll just..." he grimaced. Twenty heartbeats later, he muttered under his breath. "I'm sorry."

Tim blinked. If he  _had_  blinked earlier, he might have missed Jason's lips moving. He was also certain that he hadn't  _heard_  the words as much as he'd read Jason's lips.

"You..." he croaked, and then cleared his throat before continuing, "baked me stuff to apologize."

Jason was  _clearly_  blushing. "Yes. No. Well, kind of. I baked because I'm not good with words. Dessert, anyone? I've only got wine as sweets."

"I'm eighteen." Tim replied automatically, because he'd had this part of the conversation with Jason before. He'd had this part of the conversation multiple times with Jason before in the past few years, to be exact.

"You're legal in Australia."

"We're not in Australia."

"We can pretend. I won't tell if you won't." Jason continued.

"Bake. Words. Why. We're not done here." Tim pressed his lips for emphasis. And opened them again to allow his last forkful of pie in.

"I said it already! I'm sorry!" Jason huffed, picking up his and Dick's empty plates. Tim automatically followed with the empty pie dish and his own plate. Jason dumped both plate into the sink, and said, "Just put 'em there." and went to get some soda and bottled water from his fridge. And Tim just watched him after he finished placing the dishes into the sink. "Soda or water?"

"Whatever won't kill me." Tim replied. Jason handed him the water bottle.

"Less sugar. Won't kill you." Jason said. Tim observed the bottle for signs of tampering, found none, and chugged down the water rather gratefully.

He also figured that if he were to die now, at least he was wearing clean underwear.

Besides, Dick took the soda. Tim was always sure that Dick would defy all expectations and actually die of diabetes at a very old age.

Tim shook his head again and tried to focus. But his belly felt healthily full for the first time in-- well, since he'd stopped residing at the Wayne Manor.

"I need to go on home, now." Dick announced. "You two derps promise not to kill and/or maim each other, yeah?"

Jason sighed out loud. Tim just shrugged. Hey, he's not the killer around here.

Still, their nonconformity seemed to satisfy Dick. "Okay," he said. "Thanks for dinner, Jay. Superb pie I'm  _sure_  Alfred would be proud of." Jason just smirked as Dick climbed out the ventilation shaft he had came in from.

"He parked the Titans' invisible jet on the roof." Jason explained.

"I didn't see or hear him comin'." Tim admitted, gingerly took a seat next to Jason on the couch as Jason started channel surfing.

"He's Grayson, whaddya expect." Jason remarked. "Anything in particular you wanna see? Other than counting my freckles, maybe?"

Yes, Tim was still gawking at Jason. His brain was still trying to compute the 'I'm sorry', delicious shepherds pie and other baked goods, and 'less sugar, won't kill you'. And Jason. And the fact that all of the above came from Jason.

"Does this mean the baked goods will be a thing?" he wanted to know and promptly smacked his head internally. No, mouth. His brain did  _not_ want to ask just for the baked goods. He wanted to know if Jason being  _nice_  and have  _dinners_  and just plain 'ole being  _nice_  to him would be a routine of some sort. Because Tim's conscience was starting to imply that he could get used to it and feel alright about it. Maybe even be a little  _happy_  at it.

Jason shrugged as he settled on a 'how-to-make' something program on TV. "If you want."

Tim scratched his head. "I..." he started. Jason's eyes were glued to the TV and Tim wondered how the hell he'd kept his emotions so much in check. Except when he was furious about something. And Tim  _definitely_ know about the furious Jason, he'd been on the receiving end one time too many. "...do you take requests?"

"If I have the recipe, sure." was Jason's reply. "You going back to the Tower?"

"Yeah." Tim answered, forcing back a yawn, his body's signs that it is contented. "I better get going..." he said, starting toward the window. "Thanks for the dinner. And the baked stuff."

Jason got up and followed him to the window. "You have my number. One of it, at least, or a dozen. Let me know you got there safe." he said before Tim slipped out of the window to the fire escape.

Tim nodded, "sure." he said. He caught jason's eyes, And if asked later, by anyone - short of by extreme and copious use of some kind of truth serum and/or mind-reading - Tim would  _not_  admit of what brought in the impulse to hug Jason. But he did. He felt Jason tensed a little, and then relaxed under his arms and hugged back awkwardly.

Nope, definitely not saying anything.


	3. Was that a date?

"Guys, please. He's as subtle as a rampaging rhino in a china shop." Cassie sighed.

"I agree." Miguel agreed. "Which should be a good thing. At least  _one_  of them understands the arts of  _courting_ , and we know that it is _not_ our dearly beloved Tim!" he added

"I--" Conner started, warily glaring at the motorbike parked on the driveway. "you guys sure he doesn't have a kryptonite bullet or anything of sorts on him?"

"Or reality-destroying cannon?" Garfield chimed in. "yes, Kon, I'm sure. I looked. He didn't even want to squash me when I was passing by as a bumblebee. And I'm sure he _knew_ it was me!"

"O--kay." Conner sighed and flew outside and landed right in front of Jason Todd's bike. "Who are you and what did you do to Jason Todd?"

Jason just glared at him belligerently and Conner wanted to curl into a fetal position and/or go home. But Jason didn't do anything. "I'm here to pick Tim up." he said. 

"O--kay," Conner glared at him again. 

"Is there something on my face?" Jason snapped. 

"Uh... no..."

"Here, you can bring this back. Now, can you please check if Tim is done or not?"

"Uh... yeah, I can..." Conner replied awkwardly and returned to the balcony of the common room - where everybody were lining up on its window. On the way, out of curiosity, he peeked into the paperbag, and picked one of its contents out. 

"Did I mention your boyfriend is  _muy loco_?" Miguel quipped as Conner returned, bearing a bag of something in his hand.

"Once or twice per day, depending on the villain situation." Cassie retorted. "That thing he just handed to Kon better not be a bomb or a kryptonite something or-- oh my goddess did he just ate one!"

"It's a cookie, Cassandra. Almond, from the looks of it." Raven replied with a sign. "Really, for common people who are supposed to be in-tune with their emotions, you people are ridiculous."

Cassie was going to protest, but at the same time, Conner was flying back up to where they were looking from; and Tim was skipping down the stairs wearing a red shirt with black sleeves, and a black baggy capri pants/sweatpants.

Cassie stilled at the sight of the two boys coming to head before her from either side of the building.

"You're--" Conner started, a cookie still in his mouth, and froze midair as he glared at Tim.

"Cookies," Tim glared back at him for quite some time before he skipped away.

The rest of the gang stilled, too, for some reason. Cassie could not even figure out why. She couldn't even figure out why  _she_  froze.

Tim looked...  _young_. And fresh. And fifteen instead of eighteen. Cassie suddenly heard her mother's voice, and was quite surprised realizing that the voice came from  _her_  mouth, as she asked, "and where do  _you_  think you're going looking like that?"

Tim stopped mid-stride and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Going out,  _mom_." he retorted.

"With Jason Todd."

"No, with Attila the Hun. Oh wait. Is that Jason outside? Damn, I have to cancel Attila." Tim replied.

"Don't sass me, boy!" again, Helena Sandsmark spoke out of Cassie's mouth.

"Promise I'll be home before midnight,  _mom_!" Tim snapped, rolling his eyes and  _absolutely_  ignoring her. "Midnight for bats, that is." he smirked as he walked into the elevator.

Conner was still frozen midair with a cookie in his mouth. Until Bart finally snapped him out of his stupor by snatching the bag of cookies.

"So how many Teen Titans are there to gawk at you going out on your own?" Jason asked casually as he observed the gaggle of teenage superheroes literally lining the windows of the T-shaped building.

Tim sighed dramatically, ignored the question, and accepted the helmet Jason offered. "Too many to let me go without at least 20 questions at the end of the night."

"It's just a theater-at-the-park. You sure you don't want them coming along?"

Tim climbed on to Jason's bike and grumbled, "hell no. Absolutely no. I'm actually thinking about going to a show that's indoors, inside a lead-lined building now."

Jason chuckled. "There is no lead-lined building anywhere unless you're in Gotham or Metropolis and the owner is a Wayne or Luthor."

"I know," Tim sighed. "Let's just go? While it's quiet? Knowing my luck, there'll be a demon and/or alien invasion downtown with mind-controlling demagogues at the fore before the first act is done."

Jason's snicker came through the commlink he had apparently installed in the helmets. "Got some weird idea for a first date there, Timmers. Worth the thought, though."

Tim thumped his back. "Nooo!" he wailed dramatically. "Now gooo!"


	4. Eggs or Chickens First?

Jason should not be surprised when he opened the curtains to his apartment's balcony door to find two persons floating in front of it. He sighed and opened the door, stepped outside, closed the door behind him, and lit a cigarette.

"I expect you two to use some kind of cloaking device, or else I'll be packing up to go and blow up this place."

"I'm surprised  _you_  don't use some kind of cloaking device. Aren't you a bat?" Cassandra Sandsmark, the new Wonder Girl which Jason didn't like as much as the previous Wonder Girl, quipped.

"Not as stupid as you are, 'Wonder Girl', right now those people below are looking at you two floating over a billboard for porn." Jason snickered.

"You lead-lined your building." the other, Superboy, Superman's clone, stated.

"I did not!" Jason hammed. "Your half-a-dad owns this building, Clone Boy. All I had to do is to buy it." he added.

"Look, we're not here for a fight, alright. We just want to know what did you do with Ti-- Red Robin." Wonder Girl said.

Jason glared at them. "That's kind of a private question, don't you think?" he snarled. "I don't know how you teenage people do it these days. I, however, don't kiss and tell."

"That's not what I mean..." she started, but the Superclone interrupted her.

"He hasn't been back for more than 48 hours. You were last seen with him. And you're still here. What did you do to him!" he was snarling, and if Jason didn't know better and/or was prepared and armed to the teeth for the prospect of facing a Kryptonian, he would probably be somewhat scared.

"What  _I_  did to him." Jason echoed, slowly.

"Really! Just let me beat him up and he'll talk!" Superboy snarled again. "I can't hear Tim's heartbeat! He could've killed Tim!"

Jason waited  _just_  long enough for his indignation to dissipate. He smirked to himself, noting that the security measures he'd placed on the place was actually enough to fool Superboy. And then he sighed.

Superboy he could handle. The wonder chick, not so much. He hasn't got much experience in fighting Amazonians. Mostly they were just humoring him and let him be. He figured that if he was to physically fight an Amazon, he'd be screwed nine ways to Sunday.

He slid open the balcony door and entered, leaving the door open. The two flying heroes looked at one another.

"You think he's getting a weapon?" Superboy kind of whispered, but is really awful at it and Jason could hear him just fine from the living room.

"I think if he thinks he could take us both, he's sorely mistaken." Wonder Girl commented grimly. Jason rolled his eyes, flicked on the coffee machine, and took a seat.

"I'm making breakfast. It's still early in the morning for us batkids, anyway. Feel free to join."

"Why is he..." Superboy started, but didn't finish. "Look, Todd. We just want to know what you did to Tim!"

Jason shot him a mirthful glare as he reached for eggs in his fridge. Oh how edgy these friends of Tim's are. But really, he thought, he couldn't blame them that much. He  _had_ , after all, hurt Tim in their own home. But all he had to do now is stall. And make a large enough omelet to feed an army, maybe.

They-- actually waited as he broke eggs and put them in a bowl. When he reached for a knife, Wonder Girl finally reacted.

"Put it down." she warned. Jason only gave her a split second or indignant scowl and did  _not_  put down the knife.

"Please don't insult me - I may not be as much a genius as your little Red Robin. But I'm not stupid enough not to know a knife won't do much to either of you." he commented as he proceeded slicing onions. "So, why don't we behave like civilized people, and wait."

"Wait for what? Your whole place to blow up? Don't think I didn't see the bombs you have wired around the place." Superboy leered.

Jason  _really_  shot him a look now, and wondered if he would take it kindly if Jason was actually shooting daggers. Kryptonite daggers preferable.

"You actually think I'd blow up this place with  _me_  still in it." he stated.

"I won't be surprised if you did."

Jason groaned and gripped his knife tighter to settle his rage. A little. It was not working.

"You two freaks come in here and want to know where Red Robin is. He's an adult, and you're not his parents. Plus, I wouldn't tell  _Batman_  if he'd come a'-knockin'. What makes you think I'd tell you?" he replied, almost proud of his calm voice. Mushrooms next. He hoped one of them is allergic to mushrooms.

"That's it. I'm gonna..." Superboy flew toward Jason, a fist and skidded to a stop when a voice called out indignantly.

"What the hell are you two doing here!"

Jason turned toward the coffee maker and poured its contents to two mugs. He poured just cream in to one of the mugs, and held it up. "Coffee?"

Tim padded down from the bedroom, clad in an oversized red sweatshirt and shorts, hair sticking up to and fro, sleep still clearly mussing his face. He accepted the mug rather gleefully and gulped down about half of its contents. Jason cringed. He still couldn't understand the need to gulp down caffeine like it was water.

But it seemed to work on Tim. "Now," he demanded his two still-floating friends. "What are you two doing here."

"Where have you been?" Wonder Girl wanted to know.

"None of your business,  _mom_. Last time I checked, I'm a fully consenting adult." Tim retorted.

"I couldn't hear your heartbeat!" Superboy blurted. "I freaked out. I thought he'd..." he pointed toward Jason as if Jason was a big scary slug or something.

"Lead-lined apartment. And you were just not paying attention, we actually went outside last night." Jason scoffed, continuing to slice the materials for his omelet.

Superboy and Wonder Girl exchanged glares.

Tim sighed. "Really, guys. If I was in any danger, don't you think the city would be swarming with bats by now?" he quipped. "I'mma go brush my teeth now. Do  _not_  - I repeat,  _do not_  hurt Jason. Not until he's finished the omelets, at least." A piece of mushroom bounced off his head. "And maybe I'm gonna shower, too."

Superboy and Wonder Girl exchanged glares again, and looked at Jason as they both landed.

"I hope you two don't mind spices." Jason's smile was a little feral as he dumped jalapénos into the omelet mix.


	5. Family Ties

Dick Grayson was loved by everyone in the superhero community. If asked, some of the villains might also state their undying love for him - be it his entirety or just a few parts of him. Usually parts he would prefer not to be mentioned in public. Or in private between anyone else but him, his loved ones, and his physician.

Dick Grayson, however, was never a morning person and is incredibly annoyed to  _not_  waking up to find people flying outside his windows. Waking up and find people flying outside his windows, one of his first reactions was to scream, "Tim!!!" into his pillow.

Somewhere in San Francisco, Tim should be waking up with a scream. Or so Dick hoped, and wish and wondered if he could get somebody to relay a telepathic skill or something into him to make it happen. Oh, and Jason, too.

"--'hell you want, Conner, Cassie." Dick growled as he opened the balcony door of his apartment in the-older-Titans' Tower in New York. He belatedly realized that his question didn't make sense. But what the hell. It's ass-crack of dawn right here.

"I still do not believe we're looking at Nightwing, first thing in the morning." Dick's head swiveled to the left, the potted plant nearly flew to the origin of the sound that he did not recognize. "Oh, hi! I'm Miguel. Bunker. It is very nice to meet you, Mister Nightwing!" the purple-clad boy crowed.  _Crowed_! At this time of...

Dick finally managed to stifle his annoyance and glared back at Conner and Cassie, the ones he actually knew in person. "If this is not an emergency, you can go to Donna." he growled. "She's downstairs, and because she's a goddess, she's been up since dawn. Me, on the other side, went to bed  _at_  dawn. So pardon my lack of consciousness."

"Uh, yeah, it's-- uhm ...Tim." Conner sputtered, gulped, and actually blushed. "Guys, I seriously think this is a bad idea."

"I've told you that an hour ago," the purple guy remarked. "Hi, Mr Nightwing. I think what Conner is trying to say is that Tim has been staying with Jason through the weekends when he's supposed to be with the Teen Titans."

Dick sighed. "And you snitched this to me... why?"

"Well, we're worried, Dick! I mean, it's  _Jason Todd_! Why aren't  _you_ worried? I mean,"

"Shouldn't you guys be like, his friend, and not his spies to his big brother?" Dick retorted. He sighed again. "Okay, here's the thing. Jason might have been a jerk and a half toward Tim a few years ago. But as far as Tim - and the Batfam - are concerned, that's water under the bridge. Sure, the water may be lava and/or acidic at times. But he's trying his best. In case you kids wants to see how or what he's doing while  _not_  in San Francisco, come and drop by to Gotham. Just don't tell the Bats I told you to come by. And  _please_  lay off the costumes and flying and stuff while you're there, the Bat would have kittens."

"Seriously?" Conner demanded. "That's all you're gonna say? I thought Tim is your brother!"

"So is Jason, Conner."

"See, the thing is, Mr Nightwing," the purple kid - Miguel, said. Dick thought he might like this kid. "we can't just drop in at Gotham City without Tim knowing about it. I don't know how, but..."

Dick had to stifle a something between a yawn and a laugh. A yaugh? He should remember that one, somehow. 

"Buddy, Miguel, right? You're talking about Tim, the kid who put a tracker on  _Batman_. You didn't think of looking for a tracker in yourselves?" Dick told Miguel, who gasped indignantly and started looking. "Do me a favor, look for trackers outta here, because it'll be daylight soon and people would see you three floating there. Our cloaker is damaged a few days ago. So shoo! Vamoose! Stop being Tim's big bro and leave the worrying to me!" Dick shooed them off. They hesitated for a few seconds, lingering outside the tower and Dick silently prayed that New Yorkers would just take the sight of three flying, colorfully-clad kids as just-another-day-in-New-York.

As they left, Dick couldn't even be assed to close the balcony door back as he slumped face first onto the bed. Any villains who'd like to come-a-knockin', they'll have to wait for Dick to finish his personal crisis of being the big bro and the litany of curses he was spewing into his pillow against Tim  _and_  Jason.

"Why, 'love of god..." he groaned, as he realized that there was _someone else_ in his bedroom. "Roy, you definitely need to re-train your stealth..." he groused. "And if you're planning on going to your buddy Jason and _maybe_ tell him to tone down the wooing until every other costumed metas stop having conniptions, I'll owe you one."

Roy Harper - Arsenal - once upon a time teaming up with Jason prior to re-joining the Titans; and may or may not still hang out with Jason when they went off to do things Dick didn't want to know - groaned, too. As if this was a serious matter for him, and then he laid down on the floor, dragging Dick's comforter with him. "I thought I heard something, thought you might need help. Saw the tweens and thanked _god_ they didn't see me. I'm going back to sleep."

There was a blissful quiet for a good long moment, and Dick slowly drifted back to sleep. He was probably about 90% asleep, when he heard a mutter, "so Jaybird did tap that pretty robin's unmentionables and not the blonde one at it... cool... Way to go, Jay..."

Sleep claimed Dick before he could give in to his indignation and woke up and maybe suffocate Roy or any alternatives thereof. Somewhere, his subconsciousness was telling him that he should remember that comment and actually punch Roy. 

Later, after six hours of sleep.


	6. Egged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit short, I know. But there's just a few more to come.

Miguel did not know how or  _why_  he ended up getting the short straw and have to go to the Batman. Sure, Gar might be backing him up. But the jerk opted to take a form of a bug. A tiny, teensy-weensy little moth that was hiding in the folds of Miguel's clothes.

He was glad that he opted to listen to Nightwing's suggestion and came without his costume. From the sound of it, and from the rumors going around the superhero community who's not exactly members of Justice League, superheroes who came to Gotham without being explicitly allowed by Batman would get skewered with a batarang, branded using the Bat-light, and chased out of town by the city's police force that consisted of zombies.

Well, okay, maybe the last part had been Gar's. Whether or not Gar's predicament would take place, Miguel was still quite ambiguous about it.

He gasped as something moved on his peripheral vision. Was that a solid something that moved right there on the next building? Was it a ghost? Was that gargoyle moving or was it Garfield pulling a prank on him?

"Garfield..." Miguel growled. Testing.

From somewhere in his jacket, a voice piped up. "Nope, I'm not going out there. I'm nice and cozy and warm in here and I'm not going anywhere."

"Gar, seriously. I need something with like, night vision or something. I swear I see something moved. It could be a criminal!" Miguel pleaded.

"Mig, buddy, you're virtually invulnerable and can literally make a big, invulnerable box to cover yourself in. And me, by proxy. So no, I'm not going anywhere."

Miguel turned, to get to somewhere where there is lighting, and shrieked out loud.

"What!??" Garfield leaped out of Miguel's pocket and transformed into a rhino. "Where!?"

"Oh Maria madre de Dios... Why must you do that!" Miguel promptly snarled at the shadow. No, not shadow, a bat-shaped shadow. Kind of. The moon, finally, after what seemed like hours and for the first time of the night, revealed itself and shared a little illumination on the bat-shaped logo on the person's chest. "You're not Batman," Miguel stated. "Not Batgirl, either. She tall."

"No," a tiny little girl's voice replied. "Black Bat. You are Teen Titans."

"O--kay... how many bats are there in Gotham, anyway?" Garfield asked, changing into a bird and flew in front of the bat-costumed girl.

The voice that answered made  _Gar_  shrieked this time, and Miguel snickered. "Enough. What are you doing here, Beast Boy?"

"Uh-- hi, Bat-- Mister Batman-- Señor. We're here to talk about your son."

Another voice piped up, or rather, a high-pitched snarl. "What about his son?"

Miguel turned and stared at the source of the voice. It had come from a Robin - at least he thought was a Robin. A young boy, couldn't be older than 12, and wearing what used to be Tim's Robin costume.

"What are  _you_  supposed to be?" Garfield demanded to the young Robin boy. "I know you ain't Robin. We have a Robin. He's in San Francisco right now. Even if not in our place. But he's there. We know.  _I_  know!"

The boy swatted the bird-shaped Garfield. "You asked for Batman's son. I am Batman's son!"

"Is Red Robin... alright?" The girl - Black Bat - asked in a halting speech.

"Oh, yes, he's... technically he's fine. I think. I mean, I guess he's even happy. He's... he's with..."

"Red Hood," the girl intercepted. Miguel, thinking that she was guessing correctly, nodded. "No, is Red Hood alright?" the girl corrected herself.

"Oh, yeah. Why wouldn't he? I mean... they're together..."

" _-tt-_  is that all you're trying to say? Black Bat, can you handle these two?" The boy commanded, kind of, because Batman were still glaring at Miguel and Garfield as if he was going to swallow them whole. Or maybe fallen asleep - one couldn't really tell with the eyes part of his mask fully covered in white. The girl nodded quietly, and Miguel honestly could not decide if she was scarier when quiet or when asking questions. "Alright, father, we shall go now." the boy continued, swiftly turning on his heels.

Batman nodded slightly. "Are they well?" he suddenly asked, voice booming and Miguel was certain that criminals within ten block radius were cancelling their criminal activities upon hearing the voice. Or pissing their pants. Or both. _He_ certainly thought of the latter, and only rectified himself when he thought of this scary big bat as Tim's _dad_.

Come to think of it, _Tim_  himself could be scary when he decided that it would be time for 'sneaky time', as he'd often say when he sneaked up behind _everybody_. Even Superboy got freaked out more than once by Tim's sneakiness. Thus Miguel consoled himself - 'it's okay to be scared, Miguel,' he thought. 'Everybody are scared of him, anyway!'

But he nodded, "as far as I can tell."

"Good. Tell them to behave. Black Bat, head uptown." Batman ordered and leaped off the side of the building, followed shortly by the Robin-boy.

The girl patted Miguel's shoulder a little while later. "Tell them I miss them. Both." and then leaped after Batman and the small Robin.

It took another long moment, somewhere between half a minute to half hour - judging from the distant bell of a random church. "What just happened?" Miguel asked himself.

"I... think we've just got a one-way ticket out of Gotham with our head still intact. And no tar and feathers." Garfield replied.

"I'm-- honestly, I'm more scared to go back to San Francisco to tell Tim that Black Bat send her a 'hi'."

"You and me both, buddy." Garfield admitted. "You and me both. Shall we just head south and cross the bay to - say, Cuba? I hear Varadero Beach has good waves this time of the year."

 

 


	7. Supersized

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more of a short kind of filler chapter for the mother of all superhero visits. But this is ending in two chapters, sooo, yeah.

As soon as the Teen Titans guys started to leave him be, Tim fully expected the  _adult_  Titans to come up to him and maybe harass him a little. Maybe even teased him over his newly minted relationship. What he did  _not_  expect, however, was the red and blue and S that floated outside his Metropolis apartment.

"I  _really_  hope you're not here to ask me about Red Hood." he groused.

"Why would I want to ask you about Red Hood?" Clark asked, a small grin on his lips, as he landed on the balcony, confident that Tim would have set out a plethora of decoys to make his landing invisible. "Everyone's in enough tizzy as it is for me to keep up with the gossips without even trying. Ma said 'good on them both!' and Conner couldn't shut up about you and him. Your daddyBats seemed to forget for a few moments that he's supposed to be the broody one whenever he got to the Satellite that  _everyone_  of the JL would just tease him about being a matchmaker..."

Tim openly sulked. Clark always has the air of being 'the Dad' that would make dad-jokes and embarrass the kids. "I have every rights to try and be happy, too, you know."

"Oh, I know, Tim. Don't worry, I'm here for a favor, really. For the records, though, I'm glad my son is still  _far_  too young to be thinking about dating that doesn't have a word 'play' preceding it."

Tim scowled again. "You can't resist, can you..."

Clark grinned mischievously. "Absolutely not. I've mentioned the tizzy, haven't I? Even my wife is talking about you two, and is practically frothing at the prospect of writing about 'the dating scenes of the costumed heroes'."

Tim groaned. "Please don't encourage her..." he pleaded.

"Naah, she'll then have to write about us, too." Clark replied. "Anyway, since you're in town and not on any business except for your dad's ones, how about you come on out - or not - and help me out with some things. I promise there was no pun intended there."

The good thing was that the 'things' Clark referred to involved a lot of detective work and a lot of computer researches and evidence reviews that did not require Tim to leave the apartment. He even managed to get Clark to loop in his Fortress' processor's power because Clark - as much a not-stupid boy scout that he was - was still a boy scout and didn't even take into consideration that he'd just given Tim a backdoor to  _his_ Fortress' computer. At the end of the night, Tim has successfully concluded and proven that the dozen random third-degree murders that have puzzled Metropolis' police  _and_  Superman - have not been random at all, and that there was a creature that was manipulating people's minds to murder their supposed 'source of misery'.

Anyway, grim reality aside, it was apparent that Clark absolutely couldn't resist the parting shot, "I'm glad you're happy, Tim. Just... wait up for the momma-of-all's visit." with a mischievous grin as he flew away.

Tim wondered if the Super could hear an eyeroll.

And then prepared himself for Wonder Woman.


	8. Royal Gala

Jason, however, did not pay attention - much - to the plethora of superheroes suddenly trying to be friends with him. He was merely thinking of the benefits when his old team regrouped while his new team was unavailable when he needed backups to handle some stuff. And because Jason didn't care, he never asked why they chose to find him at the same time, either. He just relished on the fact that that the two of them being there was beneficial for him.

That is, until his plan kind of glitched when Wonder Woman showed up.

"Your little bird boyfriend is... kind of toxic for our kind." Roy Harper - Arsenal - groused as they tried to get out of the stronghold of a wannabe terrorist group who had disguised itself as a PTA group - unironically hiding guns in cooler boxes and head for their destination as a college football team's tailgating party.

They - the terrorists - obviously didn't think that they would be stopped by Wonder Woman. Who asked them nicely to please stop shooting, she needs to speak quietly with the Red Hood, and then proceeded to wrap their vehicles around them.

"Eh, I'm going to suspend my opinion on the 'toxic' remark. At least we got this done unscratched." Jason commented. "What do you need, Wonder Woman?"

"Well, first of all, maybe for you to be less combative against someone who'd just helped you." she snapped. "There were kids in there that could've gotten hurt if I hadn't interfered!"

"I know! Why do you think I have Starfire out there on standby to grab the kids when it's possible! You didn't honestly think they'll  _not_  use those kids as hostages, did you?" Jason shot back, pointing to Starfire who had just landed, looked at the arrested terrorists, then at Arsenal, and both - very _un_ helpfully - shrugged.

"Won't it be easier just to use those contraptions... cellphones?" Starfire's sing-song-y voice carried on clearly even over the rattling sounds of people trying to un-bend the metals around them.

"You know that would not allow me to see his face, Starfire." Wonder Woman replied, unperturbed.

"It's not like I'm taking off the maaa...-- what the hell put me down!!" Jason yelped as Wonder Woman grabbed him by the waist and hoisted him into the air. He didn't struggle, because what was the point? Plus, he kind of preferred  _not_  succeeding in a struggle because they were out in a desert and way up high. "I'm getting kidnapped by Wonder Woman... The Bat is gonna have a field day with this..." he grumbled instead.

"Oh, stuff it, Jason. Even Starfire knows I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just here to talk. Not as Red Hood and Wonder Woman, but as Jason and Diana, please."

"About a certain little red bird that you don't think I'm good enough for... yadda yadda yadda... I get it,  _mom_ , if I hurt him, I'd get drawn, quartered, and my head-gets-put-on-a-stake, _I get it_!" Jason finally exploded, yanking off his helmet. "You know how many people talked to me about that shit in the past month?? I mean seriously, I've got  _Ra's Al Ghul_ wanting to know what my purpose is with him! The hell is it with you people??"

Diana frowned, and then cocked an eyebrow. "Honestly, I have known you before I even know of him. And I am wondering if  _he_  was good enough for  _you_... You're a battler, a brawler. You  _live_  for the front lines. He's... cunning. More of a behind-the-scenes person than you are. He crafted happenstances to benefit him..." she mused out loud. "I care for you, Jason..." she placed a hand on Jason's shoulder. "I don't want to see you hurt."

The helmet fell off Jason's arm to the ground, he was so surprised. But Diana was not done. "I never thought... when you were killed, you know how it went for your father. But I... I'd only seen you a few weeks prior. Everything moved so fast yet so slow. One minute he was so overjoyed to have you, and then he was broken... But regardless," she shook her head. "I have yet the pleasure to meet Red Robin - aside of from his... general reputation. If you can find the time, I would like to dine with you and your boyfriend."

Jason blinked.

"What." He wondered out loud. Diana smiled, and waved - probably calling for Starfire to come fetch Jason.

"Everyone was worried for  _him_ , I think I am entitled to stand my ground and express my care, too, aren't I?" she asked before she went airborne, pausing a few miles in the air to talk to Starfire who was bringing Roy over.

"What just happened?" Jason demanded.

"Gee, Jaybird, I'd tell you, but you were the one talking to the lady. _Lady_ \- capital 'L'." Roy reminded him.

"Uh.. yeah. I--" Jason sputtered as he bent down to retrieve his helmet. "Anyway! Business done? Did you find the flash drive? So we can actually like, get some cash for this? Even if Wonder Woman was the one wrapping them up?"

"Of course I did!" Roy beamed, showing a flash disk in the form of - Jason had to roll his eyes at the predictability of them rednecks - a tiny gun. "What did she want with you?"

"She said I looked radiant and wished me well, she must be... happy." Starfire - Kory - remarked, almost incongruently.

"Princesses greeting each other a mile in the sky... and I'm far too jaded to even wonder how is it I didn't crap myself. But anyway! What did she want?" Roy returned to his initial question, because even if he has two seconds attention span, Roy could focus on things that interested him.

"She wanted me to bring Tim over for dinner." Jason replied, thanking high-heavens that his helmet's voice-modulator made his voice sounded cool and betrayed none of the giddiness he was feeling. Or the redness of his face as he looked at Roy's gaping mouth.

"Huh, how nice it is for the Amazonian Princess to summon you for a dinner. Please remember to wear a suit." Kory commented. Because of course she would zoom in on the fact that Diana was a princess, like Kory is-- was-- whatever depending on who was talking. Still, she has immediately thought of the situation in the fact that a princess, i.e. Diana - asking a commoner, i.e. Jason - to attend a dinner with her.

"I have no idea what to wear, " Jason admitted. "everything I know of royalty and stuff like that are from books. And I don't think they'd wear chainmails and or armors or stuff like that anymore, do they?"

"I... am not sure of Earth's customs, but I think you would not wear chainmails or armor into an official dining hall, unless said dinner happened in the middle of a combat. Leather, maybe, your best ones." Kory replied glibly, her eyes swept over Jason's jacket. "But! I shall be honored to accompany you and your beautiful boyfriend a trip to the mall to acquire new garbs!" she added excitedly.

"Oh boy," Jason groaned.

"And I shall accompany you three to see if you two has the same disastrous taste as your big bro." Roy grinned mischievously at him.

"No we don't. And we're not going to any malls. My boy-- Red Robin actually has  _someone_  to dress him and, need I remind you, Roy, is the adopted son of a billionaire. _He_ wouldn't be caught dead in a TJ Maxx shirt..." Jason pointed out. "Wait, why are we talking about malls? We're vigilantes!"

"I don't think TJ Maxx has come up with a kevlar- and nomex-lined suits, Jaybird. But what do I know..."

 


	9. Buffet

"We're going  _where_??"

"Washington. I've cleared it with BatDad and he just... I dunno, kinda smirked and said, 'have fun!' - which made me even more scared than this date itself. I mean, they're BFFs, right? It's not like I _stole_ this jet. Penny-one even put something in that box... I think we're supposed to give some kind of gift for the host and--" Jason rattled on for nearly a minute before he caught Tim's blank glare. "Oh, hi, you there?"

"I think my brain jumped out of the plane somewhere between state lines."

They were on their way to Washington, DC, on a Saturday night because Princess Diana of Themiscyra had extended the invitation to  _Bruce Wayne_ to send his two sons, Jason Todd and Tim Drake, to join her for a dinner. Said invitation was sent by  _courier_  (i.e. The Flash because Diana has a sense of humor) - complete with receipt and everything, and was duly accepted by Alfred. Alfred promptly prepared two dress-suits for  _his_  two boys, and demanded that "Master Wayne shall loan you his jet, young masters, have fun."

Tim had not reacted obnoxiously, if at all, when Jason picked him up from his Crime Alley loft and drove him to the private jet airport near Wayne Manor. He'd only looked up quizzically once, as they drove past the Manor, and looked at the suit Jason told him to put on. But he did not ask any question, too busy with whatever crisis that was happening in his cellphone.

It was only when they finally boarded the jet, with Jason taking the pilot's seat, that he'd asked. Jason had replied, "we're going to dinner." and when Tim did not press, Jason had thought that he'd simply forgotten of the invitation. Until, well, until somewhere between takeoff and now. "We'll land in about five minutes." Jason said. It was excessive, all things considered, to take a jet. But Alfred insisted and said that it was 'improper for a gentleman to appear ruffled for a royal dinner,' - and somehow, Diana had approved and provided a landing zone.

Why, Jason didn't know, either. But hey, who was he to object to a princess? Or a loan of a  _private jet_? Or a 30-minutes flight compared to a 3-4 hours drive?

The landing zone, true to Diana's nature, was in a military base; and they were picked up by some military people who insisted upon driving them back to 'Miss Prince' in a Hummer.

Good thing that they had listened to Alfred's advise and wore suits, not armors. It would be awkward to explain  _why_  Red Hood and Red Robin was there to meet Diana Prince; and less so in explaining why Tim Drake-Wayne would come to see Diana Prince. Tim's flustered, "she asked for us to come..." helped a lot.

At the front door, Tim still asked, "why are we here, again?"

To which Jason glibly replied, "the Princess demand our presence for dinner." Judging from a soft snicker given by one of the soldiers, it was the correct, un-suspicious answer. "Good thing we're trained on how to behave around royals." Another snicker - and Jason couldn't be assed to tell the snickerer that they, in fact,  _had_  been trained to behave around royals by the Almighty Alfred Pennyworth. Sir Alfred. Jason fleetingly thought that if Alfred hasn't been knighted by now, someone at the Buckingham Palace should have their head removed.

"Come on in, young men!" Diana greeted them. She, as per usual, looked radiant in a long, flowing gown. Silencing the little voice in his head that mentioned the fact that she could have been wearing a potato sack and would look incredible, anyway, Jason gently ushered Tim and they both kissed Diana's cheek gallantly. Alfred would have been proud. Gift was exchanged, and it turned out to be truffle chocolates. Hand-made by Alfred, to which Tim excellently presented because rich kids like him would know how to present a gift for a host. Jason would probably simply hand it over and say 'it's from Alfred.'

Dinner, as everything that was Diana, were magnificent, superb and not minuscule-sized like the food in Bruce's gala dinners. And Jason paid full attention at their taste, and how Tim reacted to them, fully taking a mental note to ask for the recipes of the ones Tim seemed to enjoy the most. The wild boar ribs might be a little tricky, but looked like it was worth catching a whole damn wild boar if Jason could find one.

"So, Timothy," Diana started.

"Yes?" Tim replied politely around the line of ribs.

"I believe just about everyone and their super-grandmothers have gone and fussed over you, yes?"

Tim chewed a little slower, and replied, "I have no idea what you mean by 'fussing'. But if you're referring to how they all have meddled and put my relationship with Jason under a microscope and proverbial and actual X-rays, yes they have. I presume you're going to do the same?"

Jason did not choke on his water, nope. He almost did, but then remembered that this was Tim, who did not fear even  _Superman_  and made Ra's Al Ghul rethinking his life choices.

Diana's smile was sweet, but laced with a little danger. "Well yes, only not for the same reason. You see, I've known Jason since he was... quite a young cub, I'd say."

"Yes, I know. I've also heard from Bruce that he's your favorite Robin," Tim grinned. "I'm just enjoying the idea that, after everyone went to Jason and put a permanent death warrant on him if he would ever hurt me, at least you're here to do the other way around."

"I am," Diana beamed. "Bruce warned me that you would be smart enough to call my bluff? But my dear Timothy, I should also remind you that I don't bluff."

"I know, I get it. He's..." Tim looked at Jason fondly, and Jason hid his blush behind a grilled rib. "I get it, though. People asked me if he's good enough for me, and no one asked if  _I_  think  _I'm_  good enough for him - and they all forgot that if evil didn't happen, he and I might have ended up like this a lot sooner. You know? I just... a lot of time I wondered if they would act the same if I'd been the Red Hood, and Jason was Red Robin, you know what I mean? If they would be so harsh on me like they are on him, forgetting everything he'd done way back then..." he shrugged. "I'm glad you're... on his side, Diana."

Diana smiled, less dangerously, this time. "A war is never won by just the soldiers, Timothy, they are won by the generals." she offered a non-sequitur. That is, non-sequitur if one's life doesn't generally revolve around wars big and small or inter-galactic like the three of them.

Jason turned a little to look at Diana, wary at the direction of the impending question.

"What are you, Timothy?"

Tim pondered the question for a moment, while Jason pretended he didn't care by stuffing his mouth with the broccoli.

"I'm sure everyone wants to be a general. I'm sure people think I'm a general... a mini-general, at least for the Titans. But what I am, really, is an experienced soldier." Tim replied, sounding a little subdued. "I don't want to  _be_  in the war, Diana. I wanted to help people. Just that. It's simple. It  _should_  be simple. But as it was, is, and will be, it's never simple. Not when  _help_  is seen as the proverbial fish, you know what I mean? --instead of the proverbial rod. What I am is a soldier. Maybe I'll eventually die in battle. Maybe - hopefully - I'll weather the war and come up on the other side, some day. But what I  _don't_  want to be is the general.

"I can think like one, sure. Like Batman. Like Luthor. Like Ra's Al Ghul. But their thoughts hurt... hurt me. There is no end of their visions. There is no happy ever after. And maybe, maybe I just want a happy ever after..."

Jason cleared his throat. "Okay, enough with the questioning, I think. The mood just turned the wine sour." he commented. He couldn't reach over the table and he wanted to, if only to wipe that solemn, forlorn look out of Tim's face.

Diana's smile was a little brighter. "I am not sure if I  _should_  give you wine or not, Jason, so that  _is_  grape juice in your glass." she remarked.

"Hey! I'm actually 21!" Jason protested.

"Ah, right. I keep seeing you as the 15-year-old boy I once knew..." she signaled someone, and a goblet and bottle of wine appeared next to Jason.

"Shouldn't you stay sober? I mean, we still gotta go back home, you know. And I don't think you can afford crashing Bruce's jet..." Tim commented.

"Live a little, Timber! Besides, you're the designated driver." Jason grinned impishly.

"That is  _so_  unfair..." Tim grumbled.

"You may have wine, too, just a sip, if you want." Diana offered. "I am amused at the American's insistence that their children should not be introduced to wine until a certain age, whilst they are not protected from violence in general. But," she shrugged. "'when in Rome...', I guess. Wine, Timothy?"

"Eh... no, thanks. I actually really rather stay sober." Tim refused politely. "Yes, Jay, I know the jet has autopilot. I just prefer to stay sober, thanks."

"One sip isn't gonna make you tipsy, Timmy. But you know what? Whatever float your boat."

The flight back home was quiet, save a few questions from Alfred in the comms of their ETA and some technical questions - like 'who was flying' and whether the pilot is sober. Diana had wondered out loud if she should let them go back home, since it was late - at 11.30-ish. They assured her that it's not late for them batkids. She'd hugged them both, whispering to Jason, "be happy, Jason."; and something else that Jason couldn't hear to Tim.

Curiosity won, and Jason decided to ask. "What did Diana tell you when she hugged you?"

Tim smirked. "What did she tell you?"

"For me to be happy. You?"

"The same, with added, 'I've been told that it is a custom to tell a young man: you hurt your lover, I'll break both your legs and arms.' - quote-unquote. Apparently, Green Arrow suggested that, thinking she would be saying that to  _you_."

"I'm hurt. Right here. After all I've done with Roy and all..." Jason pointed to his chest mockingly. A thought suddenly crossed Jason's mind. "Hey Tim?"

"Hmm... we're ten minutes out. What?"

"We're actually a couple, aren't we?"

"If you're thinking of changing your mind now, nearly eight weeks after the first time you asked me out on a date, you're a little too late."

"I'm not gonna." Jason assured him.

Tim was quiet for a few moments as Jason adjusted the plane's instruments for landing. And then he asked, "you know, I never knew why you suddenly decided you want to date me and _woo_ me with food..."

Jason's memories flew back to the alternate reality, and he looked at Tim. "Let's just say I was given the chance to see that being with you is a lot better option than not." he grinned toothily.

"That's really cheesy." Tim quipped.

"I should let you know that I'm the king of Cheese and I've read a lot of them Harlequin novels."

"That... ew. If you ever think of spreading rose petals on the bed for me, I should let you know right now that I'm allergic to blatant cheesiness." Tim chuckled, "Landing gear down."

"Weeell... there goes my Valentine plans!" Jason mock-gasped. "How about lining up a few blocks of Narrows with bad guys you can punch all the way to the Penthouse, and then have some big-bad in the Penthouse - also so you can punch? That be a good V-day for you?"

Tim's laughter was a little delayed as he landed the plane perfectly. But it still sounded like music to Jason. "Oh, Jay-bear, you sure know how to woo a vigilante!" Tim sing-songed.

Jason just grinned when Tim looped an arm across his waist, in his jacket, as they walked to their waiting car. The night was still young, for bats, but it was still quiet. He has Tim, laughing quietly in Jason's arms. And Jason thought of the rooftop frolicking he'd seen in the alternate universe some months ago.

Maybe someday he'll be able to show Tim what he'd wanted, and how he's working to get it. Maybe someday Tim would get the happy-ever-after he told Diana. Jason just hoped that he, too, would be in it - he knew that he would work hard, short of selling his soul to be there.

Maybe someday they won't have to put on so much armor to fight the bads of Gotham, or elsewhere. Tonight, Jason didn't know who started it, but a few hours later, he found himself chasing Spoiler, who was Chasing Black Bat, who was chasing Tim, while Jason was being chased by Nightwing. The night was filled with happy shrieks and indignant squawks when somebody got tagged. The shrill, child-like growl of "I shall decimate you, Nightwing!" followed with a red-yellow-and-green blur told Jason that even the grumpy new little Robin has been roped in into the game.

For the first time in a very, very long time, Jason's smile felt just right on his face.

Even if he was tagged next - mid-flight and made him nearly missed his landing - by Tim.

"I'll get you, Red!" he threatened, quickly following the happy cackle. Oooh, he'll get Tim, alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnd... I'm done with this version. All 9 chapters loaded *shoos away muse*. This was supposed to be a single-chapter thingy, and said muse has the gall to shove more plots to me. 
> 
> Sorry for not posting this earlier, but adulting got in the way. :p
> 
> If I haven't said this before (specifically) on here: THANK YOU all who sent kudos and comments! I hope I can continue contributing to this fandom. Just need to tell my muse to stick to one plot at a time, maybe. :D


End file.
